This weeks Friday Finds is a lot about books. And still about food. Holidays always mean catching up on missed reading for me, even if it’s an adventure kind of holiday there’s usually some sort of down time involved, even if it’s only mid flight. It’s also about other vacation related things. Like my hair.

Like this:

I love using oats in baking, their higher protein content makes them so filling, in a long lasting way that almost allows me to stop at just one of whatever I’ve made. Almost. These muffins are made with lovely wholesome ingredients and have just enough sweetness to feel like a treat.

Like this:

I never used to be an eggplant fan. It was too often, butter, soggy or watery. I’ve learnt that when it’s cooked in certain ways it is so delicious. This is one of those ways, in this little recipe the eggplant becomes meaty and laden with umami rich flavours from the miso paste. The crisp lettuce cups are a perfect foil to this salty richness.

Like this:

The Summer Roll. A delicious nutty, chocolate, coconut, nougat treat. A treat that I’ve recreated in a slightly more nutritious manner… it’s made with nutrient dense seeds, nuts and coconut, far less sugar (just some maple syrup and the chocolate), and contains no wheat or dairy. Also tastes like a dream.

Like this:

This might seem like a strange meal to some but it is seriously more-ish. The cucumber salad on the side brings everything together and you’ll end up licking the plate. Such a great meal to share. It’s also pretty easy to whip up and full of vegetables, protein and fibre – perfect.

Like this:

There’s a lot of things other than food that I think about. Well not a lot of things but some, really. And some of them are even interesting and worth sharing. With that in mind I’ve decided to start a ‘Friday Finds’ series of posts where I can blab about other things that I’m excited about/ obsessing over. To be honest this is still going to include food. Just not my own recipes, so totally different right?

Like this:

Broccoli is one of my favourite vegetables and this recipe works with both broccoli and broccolini. Over here in the southern hemisphere we’re busy barbecuing everything in sight and in my house vegetables do not escape the grill!

Like this:

All the things about this tart make me very happy. Earthy, sweet beetroot, bright green spinach, the pretty beetroot greens and the creamy goats cheese. This is a fairly classic combination, but I’ve included a few tweaks in this recipe to include more vegetables and use some of my favourite things. The result is a nutty, sweet and salty tart that I love for lunch or dinner.

Like this:

Healthy meals shouldn’t be difficult and sometimes you need a simple pasta dish up your sleeve. And this one is a winner. Plus it’s perfect for summer as that’s when these ingredients are at their tastiest. The key to this pasta is quality produce, you need ripe flavoursome tomatoes, fragrant basil and good quality oil and balsamic.